A nice device.

Now, a new stereo amplifier should be purchased for my, acquired only recently, Canton Ventos.
For the transitional period of half a year was still a 20-year-old YAMAHA AX-750 ready, who in my opinion, also blends very well with the Ventos of Canton.
However, this amplifier has more mechanical input control and output selector switch, which have tended in the past always contact problems.
The old Yamaha running when cold also not always identical on both channels or not at all. Presumably an elderly capacitor is responsible for this.
You had to briefly turn up something always only once to resolve this behavior.
The Yamaha, to be still my father bought in the 1990s for the former D-Mark in 1000 should also be time off in his deserved retirement, ie.

In the short list of Yamaha AS 1000 and the Denon PMA are then ultimately come 1520ae. Was available a budget of approximately 1000th Other models are also kicked out quickly, for very different reasons, which I will not explain further here.
Choosing not not was easy for me, I've tried many devices from Yamaha also the home cinema and in my opinion you get technically at the Yamaha AS 1000 much more for your money, but to me the retro design has then not pledged and fits the rest of my hi-fi equipment.
The choice fell to the detailed study of data and test reports then, not least because of the beautiful appearance, the silver Denon PMA 1520ae which both the old AX-750 as well as the new AS 1000 but is very close to the performance now now round 1000 Uros costs.

The unit has arrived home course immediately placed and connected to its place. The build quality is beyond doubt.
The device features a massive brushed aluminum front panel, very thick sheet metal casing and solid feet, as it should be in the price range also.
The massive volume controls and the controls for bass, treble and balance, as well as the input selector switch having a cap in turned stainless steel finish.
Everything looks not only quality of, it also feels very high quality of which could a Yamaha AX 22 years ago not long ago everything so well. On the back of all connections are gold-plated and designed rugged course.

From the sound, especially when compared to the old Yamaha, I was a little surprised.
The AX - 750 played off the stand very lively, airy, precise with bone-dry bass. It seemed to be as if you are part of the action.
My home theater system was worse than this stereo combination until then by the sound.

A sound to which I have become accustomed obviously too much too fast.

The Denon plays compared to quite different.
He wears the bass range much more massive and with a tremendous force on playing over the full frequency range then almost a bit boring with rather warm tone. Voices seem more likely to come from the left speaker, not from the middle.
Overall, the music creeps sometimes downright in the speakers and sticks there, the dry Punch, the fine detail and excellent spatiality of the old Yamaha's already missing me something now.

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ADDENDUM (26/11/2014):
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The amplifier has definitely a problem to keep the volume equally on both stereo channels at quieter levels. The left side is then always audibly louder. First, only the left box begins to play, then follows, much quieter, the right side.
This goes to the half past eight position of the volume control, then both sides are again identical. But then it's almost unpleasantly loud.
It is an indictment, if at such an expensive hi-fi amplifier, the stereo center is shifted audible at low volume.

To find the error and narrow I first swapped the speaker cable. Then there was a loud equal on the right side. Then I have another pair of speakers connected to another room, where there is also recurred.
Then I looped my home theater AVR as a preliminary stage and the error was immediately off in Power Amp Direct mode. Now you could switch back and forth nicely.

Very unfortunate that the 1299 is a current amp for EIA - no longer gets to the series.
Even with the old Yamaha that the synchronization was not as pronounced, better.
Probably it is the potentiometer prepress.

Small consolation, the member has a balance control and the amplifier works at least. The now gets the 5 star, the precursor does not get more star.
That makes a total of only 2 stars.

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ADDENDUM (12/05/2014):
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After some research, I have now installed RightMark Audio Analyzer on the notebook and the Denon connected to the sound card.

The right channel is up to 3dB quieter and similar in level to Halbneun then slowly, like I've heard this before.